BEAUMONT, Texas – With the official start of the 2019 campaign just over two weeks away, LamarCardinals.com is taking time to inspect this season's squad on a position-by-position basis. Today's focus is the setter.
Setters
Like a point guard in basketball or a quarterback in football, the setter is the engine of the offense, deciding who gets the ball and when. If a setter isn't consistently delivering a good ball to hit, it doesn't matter how skilled the team's hitters are. They communicate with each hitter to make sure everyone is on the same page on which play is being run and what set they'll hit.
"Setters are the quarterback of the team. They are in complete control of running an efficient offense. The setting position is probably the most difficult one on the team. They have to read the defense of the opponent while listening for calls from their attackers and make a decision in the moment. They have a lot of pressure on their shoulders and can have a big impact on the success of a team," said head coach
Michelle Kuester.
Last season
Alyssa Legette and
Kyla Rogers split time as the primary setters with about 83 percent of the team's assists. Rogers does not return to the team in 2019, but Legette brings back 407 assists, an average of 5.15 a set, from 2018. Joining Legette are
Hayleigh Moreno and
Annika Slovak.
Alyssa Legette
Legette first earned a spot on the roster as a defensive specialist, but switched to the setting role due to some team needs in the offseason preceding her freshman year. Splitting time with Rogers she still had almost 50 percent of the team's assists and was a strong presence on defense as well, recording over 100 digs. She had 14 aces and an .875 serving percentage.
"Alyssa was originally recruited as a libero," said Kuester. "We were forced to move her to the setting position last year and she did a great job handling that role. With her athleticism and willingness to take big risks we decided to keep her in that role. She does a fantastic job of running the offense and giving our attackers good opportunities to score."
Hayleigh Moreno
Moreno comes to Lamar after one season at Southwestern College, an NAIA program in Kansas where she was the team's Player of the Year. She had 305 digs, 41 aces, 41 assists, seven kills, and a block as a Moundbuilder. She played in 123 sets with 15 starts in 34 matches.
"Hayleigh is a really good athlete. She has great foot speed and does a good job of taking control of the floor. With some work on her set location she could see considerable playing time this year. She is a kid who is going to work hard and leave it on the floor every day," said Kuester.
Annika Slovak
Slovak is an incoming freshman who wowed in her time at J.J. Pearce High School in Richardson, Texas. She was a four-time All-District member, the team's co-captain and co-MVP in 2018, and recorded over 2,500 assists in her career.
"Annika has really incredible hands. She comes from a really great volleyball background and has knowledge of what a setter's role is. Her knowledge of running an offense is one of the best out of our setters. With work on her foot speed and a few tweaks to her technique she will be a solid setter for our program," said Kuester.
Check back with LamarCardinals.com on Thursday for the next position preview - the defensive specialist.
